Is McDonald’s a Good Portfolio Play?

With shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD)trading around $101, is MCD an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let’s analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

McDonald’s franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America — so just about every part of the world. Its restaurants offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages, as well as breakfast menus. The products provided by McDonald’s fulfill cravings at competitive prices in convenient locations worldwide. The McDonald’s craze shows no signs of slowing, so the company has continued its expansion to just about every nation on the globe. As consumers continue to enjoy McDonald’s products, look for it to see rising profits.

McDonald’s said same-store sales rose slightly in May, but the burgers-and-fries giant continued to suffer weak sales in the U.S. The company has sought to boost flagging sales with a renewed focus on its core menu items, while updating its Ronald McDonald and Happy Meal branding. In May, the company worked to goose its U.S. sales with increased promotional emphasis on its value menu and breakfast, particularly its McCafe coffee offerings. Yet, the company cited “ongoing broad-based challenges” as it posted a 1 percent decline in same-store sales for U.S. restaurants open at least 13 months. Through May 31, U.S. same-store sales are down 1.2 percent overall, McDonald’s said. The company said systemwide sales in May rose 2.4 percent, or 3.4 percent excluding currency fluctuations. The company’s Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa region posted same-store sales growth of 2.5 percent, with strong performance in China reflecting a comparison against last year’s avian flu-pressured results. Several markets in the region posted positive results, the company said, although Japan continued to experience weakness. Same-store sales rose 0.4 percent in Europe, as positive sales in the UK and France were offset in part by declines in Germany. The company said it has tentative plans to release second-quarter results before the market opens July 22.